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greater mekong region

DASTA, MTCO, Green Destinations and AEN Establish Strategic Partnership

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Bangkok, Thailand, February 1, 2024 / TRAVELINDEX / A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in Bangkok, establishing a strategic partnership between the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA), the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), Green Destinations (GD), and the Trade Association of Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN). This collaboration marks a significant step towards promoting sustainable tourism certification for destinations in Asia with a focus on the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

“As we embark on this transformative mission, we are committed to elevating tourism destination standards for sustainability, fostering economic stability, and preserving our rich cultural heritage in the subregion. This initiative equips DMOs with the tools to collaborate effectively with all stakeholders in tourism development.”, said Gp. Capt. Athikun Kongmee, Director-General of DASTA.

Ms. Suvimol Thanasarakij, Executive Director of MTCO, shared her perspective on this new partnership: “The signing of this MOU is a testament to our shared commitment to sustainable tourism in the GMS. By uniting our efforts, we aim to develop tourism destinations that are not only economically viable but also environmentally and culturally sustainable.”

“Government leaders have a responsibility to future-proof their destinations for sustainability to protect the environment, stimulate economic growth, and provide international leadership in addressing global challenges. It’s their legacy to their constituents and the future generations to ensure good governance for the people, planet and prosperity,” said Ms. Susan Santos de Cardenas, Southeast Asia Partner and Representative of Green Destinations.

Mr. Masaru Takayama, President of the Trade Association of Asia Ecotourism Network (AEN) commented, “AEN aims high to help introduce sustainable tourism to the GMS countries and grow it together with our partners to make ripple effects to ensure a bright future for the communities and our children for the generations to come while ensuring environmental conservation, cultural preservation, and priority to local employment and economy. The certification scheme should focus on the objectives, progress, and mission-driven actions not just on the scheme itself.”

Spearheaded by DASTA, the MOU outlines a collaborative framework focused on enhancing sustainable tourism practices, particularly in destination management and certification. This initiative encompasses sharing knowledge and resources, supporting the development and testing of sustainable tourism initiatives, and engaging in the exchange of ideas to formulate operational guidelines. These efforts aim to ensure that tourism development in the GMS is conducted responsibly, balancing socio-economic growth with the preservation of the region’s unique environmental and cultural heritage.

About the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO)
The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) was established in 2006 by the governments of Cambodia, Yunnan Province, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China (PRC), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam. MTCO serves as a collaborative framework dedicated to advancing tourism’s role in fostering inclusive economic growth and environmental sustainability in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Guided by the GMS Tourism Working Group (TWG), comprising senior representatives from the National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) of the six member countries, MTCO plays a pivotal role in promoting sustainable tourism development in the region.

 

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Destination Mekong Summit Promotes Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism Recovery

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Destination Mekong Summit Promotes Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism Recovery - TOURISMMEKONG.org - TRAVELINDEXPhnom Penh, Cambodia, December 5, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / As part of its action plan to boost tourism recovery in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), Destination Mekong, the private regional tourism board of the GMS, based in Cambodia and Singapore, will have the third edition of its Destination Mekong Summit on 14-15 December 2022.

As international travel has resumed in the GMS and globally, the 2022 Destination Mekong Summit will take place in Trellion and Aquation Parks on Koh Pich in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and online, under the theme ‘Together – Smarter – Stronger’.

Designed as a two-day journey celebrating creativity, diversity and inclusivity, the 2022 DMS will gather 40 speakers, and prominent representatives of the public and private sectors involved in the travel, tourism and hospitality in the Mekong region: operators and owners of tourism SMEs, social entrepreneurs, policy-makers, practitioners, influencers, change-makers, educators and learners, high-level officials, etc.

The program of the Summit features eight thematic panel sessions, three of them being led by supporting partners including:

· World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) session on ‘Championing the GMS as a sustainable tourism destination’, a key partner of the 2022 DMS;

· Child Protection in Travel and Tourism (ECPAT) International: session on ‘Practicing social responsibility and inclusiveness in tourism’;

· Beyond Retail Business (BRB) session on ‘Catching the value of local culture, know-how and creativity’.

Other panel sessions will address a variety of subjects such as innovative capacity-building, sustainable food and beverage businesses and experiences, marketing and branding for SMEs, social enterprises and start-ups in tourism, and opportunities and threats for tourism recovery in the GMS.

On the morning of the second day, 15 December, the Destination Mekong Summit will offer its participants the opportunity to attend the following training sessions and workshops:

– Training of Tour Guides as Wildlife Champions and Agents for Positive Changes by WWF,

– Sustainable tourism recovery with child protection in focus by ECPAT International,

– Storytelling techniques by the Centre for Communication and Information Literacy,

– Developing a Tourism & Travel Brand in 2023 by Trove Tourism Development Advisors, and

– Digital Marketing for Tourism Businesses by Destination Mekong

– Presentation of the report on ‘Innovate to Compete – Cambodia’s Tourism Insights 2022’ by GIZ.

Three major networking events, including a cocktail reception on the first day and a business matchmaking breakfast and a garden party on the second day, will offer the audience another occasion to enjoy the ‘power of together’ while building promising bridges and exciting connections. The latest line-up of speakers and programs can be found here.

Hosted for the first time in a hybrid format, the Destination Mekong Summit intends to:

· build a smart platform and network to stimulate sustainable tourism recovery across GMS;

· foster synergies and partnerships to position and market the GMS as an attractive, sustainable and inclusive tourism destination;

· To facilitate an innovative framework to share experiences, grassroots solutions, and inspiring stories to help the recovery and resilience of tourism recovery in the GMS;

· To showcase value-added, revenue-generating solutions, projects and programs designed by Destination Mekong and its members and partners.

Catherine Germier-Hamel, CEO of Destination Mekong, highlighted that ‘This 2022 DMS comes at a perfect time when we still have the chance to take stock of the lessons learnt in the past few years, and restart, rethink, and rebalance tourism so that it can truly contribute to inclusive local development and empowerment in the region’.

‘The travel and tourism industry has come in for much criticism in recent years, particularly in terms of its environmental impact, this summit allows us to convey the positive role the industry can play as well as the necessity to promote social and economic sustainability if we are to achieve our environmental sustainability goals’ stressed Mark Jackson, Chair of the Executive Board of Destination Mekong.

‘Responsible tourists are a key player in wildlife conservation and sustainable local livelihood development. Wildlife and local cultures are priceless assets for tourism activities which need to be protected and restored’ said Teak Seng, Country Director of WWF-Cambodia. ‘Cambodia is blessed with rich biodiversity on earth but the nature-based tourism in Cambodia hasn’t reached its full potential at this point due to the limited infrastructure, quality products and services,’ Mr Seng added.

‘Global travel and tourism are making a comeback, but it is important that we don’t revert to old behaviours,” said Jedsada Taweekan, head of WWF-Greater Mekong’s Illegal Wildlife Trade program. ‘The way forward must be green and sustainable, and consider the needs of wildlife and the environment in addition to the needs of travellers. Therefore, working with the travel and tourism sector to encourage tourists to have responsible tourism experiences – at the minimum by refraining from consuming wild animal meat or buying wildlife products as souvenirs – is a small but effective way to promote positive change in tourist behaviour.’

For Gabriela Kühn, Head of the Programme of Child Protection in Travel and Tourism – ECPAT International, ‘Practicing social responsibility and inclusiveness for tourism development can only happen through human rights approach. Actions to address adverse impacts on children’s rights need to be scaled up by governments and companies in cooperation with civil society organizations. The Destination Mekong Summit allows stimulating action of building together sustainable tourism destinations that protect children.’

Registration and details: www.destinationmekong.com/dms22

About Destination Mekong
Launched in 2017, Destination Mekong (DM) is a private tourism board aimed at championing the Geater Mekong Subregion (GMS)* as a united, attractive and sustainable tourism destination creating value, positive impact and opportunities for all. Over the past years, it has spearheaded innovative and inclusive collaboration within the public and private sectors across the six Mekong countries to inspire and engage travellers and stakeholders through authentic experiences and stories.

The core mission of Destination Mekong is to create engaging programs and solutions that build capacity, are inclusive, and promote sustainable economic development and understanding of the diversity and uniqueness of the region, contributing to social equality and poverty reduction.

Endorsed by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office in Thailand and aligned with the mandate of the regional collaborative tourism framework of the six-member governments of the GMS, Destination Mekong has executed targeted projects and initiatives, including Mekong Moments, Mekong Memories, Mekong Deals, Mekong Mini Movie Festival, Mekong Innovative Start-ups in Tourism (MIST), Experience Mekong Collection, Mekong Heroes, and Mekong Trends, with feedback from the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG) and via a public-private partnership investment structure, led by UNWTO Affiliate Member Chameleon Strategies.

In 2022, Destination Mekong was registered as a full-fledged company in Singapore and Cambodia, operating as a social enterprise.

(*) The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) comprises Cambodia, PR China (Provinces of Guangxi and Yunnan), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Finalists for 2021 Experience Mekong Showcases Announced

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Finalists for 2021 Experience Mekong Showcases Announced

Bangkok, Thailand, July 29, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office is announcing the 15 Finalists of the Experience Mekong Showcases 2021 from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand Viet Nam, as well as Guangxi and Yunnan in PR China. Finalists from Myanmar this year will be judged differently via an industry panel made up of relevant Mekong Tourism Advisory Group members. Three thousand eligible votes determined three Experience Mekong Collection members from each of the five participating countries this year for the next round of voting for this prestigious recognition. Now open for a public vote until August 31st, the six Experience Mekong Showcases will be announced at the 2021 Destination Mekong Summit later on this year. To cast your vote, please visit

The Experience Mekong Collection was created four years ago to recognize and encourage sustainable and responsible tourism development in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

To be appointed as a member of the Experience Mekong Collection, all small travel businesses in the Mekong Region need to fulfill the following requirements:

1. Make a significant social impact on its community
2. Provide an authentically local experience positioning the GMS as a
responsible, inclusive, and experiential tourism destination.
3. Have an innovative concept and sustainable business model.

Members of the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG) selected the 60 shortlisted Experience Mekong Collection (EMC) member businesses – twelve from five member countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion from the 300+ members of the Experience Mekong Collection.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the currently active businesses – defined as businesses in communication with us, which is a requirement to be included in the Experience Mekong Showcases program – are currently at nearly 150 businesses.

“Alliances like the Experience Mekong Collection are more important than ever, especially in crises such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, to strengthen resilience both at the destination level, as well as for the individual businesses themselves, via sharing of best practices, networking, cross-promotional activities, and creating operational efficiencies”, says Mr. Jens Thraenhart, outgoing Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, and initiator of the Experience Mekong Collection, operated as part of the private-sector-led regional tourism board Destination Mekong. “I am convinced that the Experience Mekong Collection will help accelerate tourism recovery in the region, as well as protect and conserve these locally authentic experiences, which are the treasure trove of the Mekong region.”

“In recognizing the most innovative best practice businesses as the Experience Mekong Showcases, this sets several benchmarks to further improve travel experiences in the Greater Mekong Subregion. As consumer trends and travel behaviors are changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope this inspires other operators of any size to become involved in responsible and inclusive tourism,” said Mr. Willem Niemeijer, Founder & CEO of Yaana Ventures and current interim Chairman of Destination Mekong.

The 2018 Experience Mekong Collection Showcases included Phare Cambodian Circus (Cambodia), Longji Rice Terraces Guangxi (PR China), Ock Pop Tok (Lao PDR), Inle Heritage Place (Myanmar), Local Alike (Thailand), and Koto (Viet Nam). The 2019 Experience Mekong Collection Showcases included Soksabike (Cambodia), Linden Centre (PR China), Elephant Conservation Centre (Lao PDR), Hla Day (Myanmar), Sampran Riverside (Thailand), and Streets International (Viet Nam). The 2020 Experience Mekong Collection showcase include the Elephant Valley Project (Cambodia), Yangshuo Mountain Retreat (PR China), Laos Buffalo Dairy (Lao PDR), Living Irravaddy Dolphin Project (Myanmar), The Family Tree (Thailand), and Journey of the Senses (Viet Nam).

All members of the Experience Mekong Collection get exposure via Mekong Tourism and Destination Mekong, including MekongTourism.org, DestinationMekong.com, ExperienceMekong.com, and the dedicated Experience Mekong Collection Facebook and Instagram accounts. Experience Mekong Collection members also have priority access to marketing campaigns and have their own dedicated online member-only community to connect with each other.

First published at TravelCommunication.net

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News